Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT|
March 10-12, 2017
by Michael J. Moran
Classical music lovers who heard Kevin Rhodes and the
Springfield Symphony Orchestra perform Franz Liszt’s “Faust Symphony” in
October, 2009 could be pardoned for assuming this might be their only chance to
hear it. Not to be outdone by her northern neighbor, Carolyn Kuan and the HSO
didn’t just give local concertgoers another crack at this rarely heard
masterpiece but added some theatrical flair.
The historical Faust who practiced astrology, alchemy, and
sorcery in 16th-century Germany became a popular symbol in later Western
literature of how special powers in earthly life could cost a man his soul.
Goethe’s 1808 play about Faust inspired musical settings by Berlioz, Schumann,
and Liszt, whose “Faust” symphony is in three movements, each depicting a major
character in the story: Faust; Gretchen, the young lover who redeems him; and
Mephistopheles, the Devil who promises him wealth and restored youth.
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| Colin McEnroe |
The symphony was written in 1857 as an instrumental work,
but Liszt added an optional epilogue with tenor and male chorus singing the
final lines of Goethe’s text. While Rhodes included this epilogue, Kuan
replaced it with a new script by Connecticut writer and media personality Colin
McEnroe. Hartford TheaterWorks artistic associate Eric Ort directed two Equity
actors, Crystal Dickinson and R. Ward Duffy, in gripping performances of
McEnroe’s scenes, several of which were interspersed in each movement. These
mostly showed individuals reflecting on ethical dilemmas in their 21st-century
lives, from hedge fund management to scientific research. Perhaps the most
moving scene was the last one, Dickinson as a redeeming God.
The music, lasting almost 90 minutes, is among Liszt’s most
technically demanding and harmonically ambiguous scores, and a very full HSO
rose to the challenge with a riveting performance. Kuan clarified the massive
textures of the Faust and Mephistopheles movements, and the delicate duet between
principal oboe Heather Taylor and principal viola Michael Wheeler in the
Gretchen movement was especially radiant.
In a post-concert discussion hosted by Kuan, with helpful
contributions from McEnroe, Ort, Dickinson, and Duffy, audience comments and
questions confirmed this imaginative presentation as another triumph for the
path-breaking maestra and her community-minded ensemble.
